Last Week's Results

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Week 7 RECAP

Thu, May 19, 2016

Before getting into this week’s recap, we want to recognize a WSL original who has passed on. John Berry, an original member of the Sweetwater 86ers and a founding member / guitarist of the Beastie Boys, battled with frontal lobe dementia over the past few years but lost that battle this week. John was credited with creating the Beastie Boys band name when they were teenagers. John played on the band’s first EP Polly Wog Stew but left the band in 1982. He was also a member of other bands including Even Worse, Big Fat Love, Highway Stars and Bourbon Deluxe. When The Beastie Boys were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012, they acknowledged John and his loft on a 100th St and Broadway “where John’s dad would come busting in during our practices screaming ‘will you turn that fucking shit off already’…”

Rest in Peace John… Thanks for being a positive member of the WSL community. You will be missed…..

We will avoid our normal nonsense this week and jump right into the Week Seven Recap.

9AM

Field #1: Loggers @ R Bar (The Heitcz)

Going into the 9 AM game this week there were probably more than a few people expecting this to be a relatively easy game for R Bar. The Loggers have been playing well this season but haven’t been able to have a statement game against a top squad, falling just short vs. both Turkey Nest and Kilo Bravo.

A few innings into this game there were even less people expecting a Loggers W. The Loggers got on the board with a run in the first. R Bar answered with a run of their own and didn’t look back. By the 5th inning the Champs had an 8-2 lead that really felt like 20 -2 thanks to homeruns by John Rocchio and Bobby Knapp. The Loggers could have easily put it into cruise control looking ahead to their other game of the day, but they found a spark thanks to Erika Tucker’s 1 out single in the 7th inning. 6 runs and 6 hits later we had a ball game on our hands.

The Loggers followed with a 5 run 8th inning punctuated by 5 straight hits by the bottom of the line up to take the lead 13 – 11. True to form, R Bar was not going to just roll over and a 2-Run bomb by Ted Browne tied the game at 13-13. Tony Basile and Brian Pisanelli got hits putting runners at 2nd and 3rd. with one out. Kristen Pisanelli drove in the winning run on a close play at first. R Bar went down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 9th and the Loggers had their statement win.

For the Loggers E-Rock aka Erika Tucker finished the day 2-3 and 2 runs scored. Steph Erwin was 2-3 with a run scored. For the Champs Bobby Knapp had 3 hits including a homerun. John Rocchio continued his MVP pace adding a homerun and 2 doubles. Jocylen added 2 hits as well.

Big thanks to both teams for taking the 9 am game on short notice to help with the WSL rescheduling master plan!

(Loggers 14 / R Bar 13)

11AM

Field #1 R Bar @ AT All-Stars (Curt Shilling)

Coming off a shocking loss to the Loggers, R Bar wasted no time getting back on track with a 7 run 1st inning led by a John Rocchio homerun and RBI singles by D-Lo and Katie. R-Bar added a run in each of the 2nd and 4thinnings highlighted by a homerun by Adam Caccavale. Then they tacked on 4 in the 5th by RBI singles by Richie Formato and Daniel Chaupus. At this point the score was 13-1. AT found a way to tack on a few more runs but never seemed to get anything going. R Bar added a little more with a Bubbs homerun in the 9th.

Stars of the game for R-Bar: Bobby Knapp had 4 hits including a homerun. Former AT member Daniel Chaupis added 3 hits and Bubbs added 3 hits as well.

(R Bar 16 / AT 4)

1PM

Field #1: Bedford Yetis @ Loggers (The Heitcz)

Coming off a huge win against R Bar the Loggers were ready to let the good times roll. There was only one problem, their next game was not until 1pm. Playing at 9 AM has minimal benefits (not sure what they are, lots of parking?) and even more downside like your Sponsor Bar not being open to celebrate. With no bar to go to and no game to play, the Loggers took sanctuary under the Big tree on Field 1. It was a trying few hours with many beers, intense wind and multiple rain showers. The Loggers survived the cold chill of the Yeti’s natural habitat, but proved to be less than game ready after the long layover.

The Yetis jumped out to a 5 run lead in the top of the 2nd thanks to a 4 pitch walk by Turbo to load the bases with no outs. Taking offense to the scoring barrage Tony Basile, broke out his axe and got the Loggers on the board with a 2-run blast. The Yeti’s would add 5 more runs over the next 5 innings to take a 10-9 lead into the 9th inning. Trying to mount their second comeback in as many games, Craig Heitczman led of the bottom of the 9th with a game tying Solo shot. Brian Pisanelli followed with a single up the middle. League Vet, but Logger Rook, John Condon stepped to the plate with the chance to play hero. He would serve a single to the opposite field to score Pisanelli from 2nd and live to play another day.

The Loggers had contributions all over the lineup. Jay Mort was 2-3 and an RBI. Dan Sykes add a 1-2 day with a walk and Brian P was 2-4, scoring the game winning run. The Yeti’s had big days by Baby Boy who was completely unstoppable going 4-4 with 4 singles. John was 3-4 and Megan added two hits of her own.

With two big wins on the day the Loggers equaled their win total of all of last year. Timely hitting and solid defense has been the Loggers calling card this season and they look to continue that trend against C’Zar and The Runaways. The Yeti’s face an 86er’s team that has struggled to score runs so far this season, but are poised to break out. Will Pizza keep the 86er’s in the Gutter, or can Buttah rally the troops?

Karl forgot his glove for the first inning then ran to the Turkey’s Nest shed to get it. Manning couldn’t throw to first base yet somehow managed to throw it through the backstop opening. Helm couldn’t remember how outs work. (Yes, Canadian Club: you have to either step on the base or tag the runner.) Co-manager Shafer dropped a fly ball WITHOUT doing the Rickey Henderson. Andy struck out LOOKING. And not only was John Louis playing shortstop…he actually did a great job!

With all that weirdness, it was hardly a surprise that come the sixth inning the Nest were down five runs. And the surreal scene continued when Nest co-manager Shafer—after a two-run bomb in the first inning—led off that inning with a WALK. But then the Nest bats woke up. JL had an RBI double to go along with his solo homer earlier in the game. Then Karl knocked him in. Then Mitch knocked him in. And they kept it rolling the next couple innings with big hits from Trish, Hersh, Helm and a three-run jack from Fagan… and Holly…well Holly DIDN’T STRIKE OUT LOOKING, BREVING!!!

While the Gisbon is still looking for their first win, there are plenty of positive signs. Todd Kovner hit yet another HR! BEAST!! 7 total on the season. Aaron “AK” Kleinmann had a 3 run homer to put Gibson up 9-5 in the 7th inning. Martin Smolinski pitched well and they got solid defense from Sam Dolphin at 3rd base and Joseph Talent at SS.

(Gibson 9 / Nest 11)

3PM

Field #1: Black Betty @ SoftSpot Runaways (Kevin Belz)

A lot of people don’t know this and may not even care too much, but JB$ once was on Pete’s Candy Store and then signed with Black Betty one postgame, delivering them a fistful of championships in the years to come. This weekend JB faced off against his old team and the gloves came off! The teams battled for 10 very full innings and in the end the higher ranked team got the win, but the Runaways showed they come to play and will not quit until the last out is made by a topless pitcher.

With Czr joining the team in the off-season after Wally went ‘too far’ one night in the glow of the Crush winning their 1st (and only) Championship for the Fall 2015 league. Czr was quoted as saying ‘Who do you think I am? Q?’ and the tra—errrr—-changes were in play. Czr isn’t the only pitcher the Runaways picked up. They also acquired Henri, a x2 Fall Ball winner and motorcycle enthusiast who throws lethal lobs but wasn’t there this Sunday. How do you miss the Black Betty game dude?

Anyway….game starts out with the Betty’s plating a couple in the early innings, with a mixture of hitting and Pete’sCandyStore miscues to make the leave 10-3 after a few innings. The game was far from over and the hits were about to start amounting to something. This time, it was the Runaways who plated batter after batter in the 6th and eventually clawed their way to an 11-10 lead. Everyone had hits…..Ian (4 for 4), Deitz, Polly, Rebecca\Samantha, Grambo….even Sam ‘Del’ Rio had an intentional Ichiroic-totally-legal-swinging-bunt that dribbled down the 3rd base line. What I recall most was Sam saying “No way!?!?” after his hitting feat. No way, indeed. The lead was their’s and they were ready for 2 in a row.

The Betty’s had an OK game but that inning where the Runaways jacked up 8 runs was just terr-eebs, as the Mayor would say. They threw the ball around, didn’t get calls they thought were gimmes (kudos to Pete who earned his 60) and generally left the door open for the other squad to kick down the door and make things ugly. Down 1 run the Betty’s tied and took the lead late but the game was tied after 9 innings. Free softball (because Pete made no extra $$).

The Betty’s got a runner on with 1 out, moved him over to 2nd (speed), and the new Bettyballer Julio Soriano stepped to the plate. Czr….former teammate of Julio during the Crush15 WSFL franchise, was owning him. He had BigJ 0 for 4 with a few sacs but mostly fly balls that got caught. Julio was not to be denied in his 5th AB and crushed ball to dead center field that split the OF’ers and gave the Betty’s a 2 run lead. They held onto the win in the bottom of the 9th and gave the game ball to the baseball gods.

Don’t fuck with the Runaways or call them Cinderellas. They are a deep team with a lot of talent. AND Chad.

(Betty 14 / Runaways 12)

Field #2: Gutter 86ers @ St. Anselm (Grambo)

The 86ers absolutely OWNED St. A’s last year–sweeping them in the regular season, then handing them an L in the playoffs. So sweet revenge was on Pete Hoffman’s mind this week.

It didn’t look like it would happen for most of the game, though–the 86ers came out strong and dropped four runs in the first frame. St. A’s were able to claw back and tied the game at four in the third–and it stayed close, despite St. Anslem’s stranding twelve runners on base, due in large part to the 86ers stout two out D–including a Sportscenter-quality highlight backhanded grab by MalVP to rob Pete Hoffman of multiple bases–and two ribbies. In the fourth, the 86ers got big–Dylan Gaskell and Chris Giorgio went yard back to back. In the sixth inning St. Anslem’s applied their scouting reports–Chris and Dylan both hit towering flys-but the OF was in the right place this time. Still, they each managed to put in a run on their SAC flys. Chris ended up with a great day going 3-4 with three RBI. So, despite the big day from the middle of the 86er’s lineup and stout play all game from the fearsome foursome of Kathryn, Kate, Mal and Talia, the 86ers were only holding a one run lead going into the bottom of the ninth.

In a day full of walk-offs and close ones, this one really stands out as some great clutch playing–and most of it with two outs. We’ll let Pete Hoffman call the play by play:

Going into the bottom of the 9th the 86ers were clinging to a 8-7 lead and our chances were looking dim. Christian Ver Halen started off the inning with a groundout to 1st. The rally started with a Jeff Carroll single that split SS and 3b. Derek Evers was up next and hit a fielders choice. Veteran Jay Silver was up next and drilled a liner up the middle advancing Evers to second. Palma Blank worked an incredible walk to load the bases and set the table for Jon Blank. He worked the count in his favor and hit a seeing eye single passed a diving Chris and Richie at 3b and SS. Ben charged the ball and it took a patented McCarren hop and caromed off his leg into center field. Evers and Silver scored in a dramatic and much needed walk off win for the Boo Cakes.

Epic win for St. A’s to get back to .500. Next week they get the resurgent AT All Stars in the AM, while the Gutter gets to relax at home until five or so when they take on the Bedford Yetis.

(86ers 8 / St. A 9)

5PM

Field #1: Roebling Sports Club @ Spike Hill (Dubin)

Waiting on Dubin to submit recap….

(RSC 7 / Spike Hill 14)

Field #2: TNT @ Clemerica (Nat the Bat)

Last week’s cancelled games gave some of us the opportunity to rest up, spend the day with our mothers, and dry out that liver. Not Clemerica. We chose to spend the day with our softball family at Clem’s and partake in delish BBQ and Clemonades (if you haven’t had one…you are seriously missing out!). While AT pulled it together to get their game in with Kilo Bravo, the Battleship was making trades with Black Betty. After many negotiations, Breezy jumped ship to the Black and Yellow. We may have lost that beard, those kind eyes, and many amazing meals, but we gained something even BETTER. Young Violet Camarra. Finding the next generation of ball players is definitely hard work, but our scouting report tells us that young Vi’s tenacity and natural athleticism make her an invaluable addition to the Clemerica farm system. Little Anabelle is next in line to continue the Camarra softball dynasty, and make no question about it, we’ve got our eye on her as well! Some people like to get caught up in the past and “history”, flaunting their many championship titles, but others like to look forward and wisely invest in the future. Don’t worry Mike and Jody, Vi is in good hands. Hopefully you’ll be gentle with Breezy, yellow is not really his color (but then again, does ANYONE look good in yellow?).

With a week off, and a certain Lady Clemerican being put on the disabled list (yours truly), the Battleship was looking to continue their winning streak while the Teachers were looking to end the hurt of the past few weeks. After 7 hours of enduring cold winds, hail, minimal patches of sunlight and an inordinate amount of Budweisers, I made my way over to Field 2 to catch the action and take my post as this week’s “fan girl”. The Teachers were the first to draw blood scoring 3 in the 1st inning, but Dave Martin, doing his best Magneto impersonation on the mound, struggled against the powerful Clemerica lineup, giving up 13 runs in his 3 innings of work. Haz came in and held Clem’s in check allowing TNT to pull within 5 runs by the fifth inning before the carnage commenced putting the game out of reach for TNT. Defense was shaky but the Teachers were able to put up their fair share of runs, hitting in 11 on the day with big hits coming from Haz and Cecilia, combined going 4-6 and Mike Sill who continued his hot streak going 3-4 with 3 RBIs. Special shout out to Alyssa of the Gibson for filling in!

As for Clemerica, the bat gods were on our side, and once we hit the plate, the damage did not stop. Black and White put up 7 runs in the bottom of the 1st, another 6 in the 3rd, and the final nail in the coffin came in the bottom of the 6th with another 9 runs coming across. Craig! was first at bat and already had a triple and a double under his belt from the earlier inning and smoked one to split the outfield for a homerun to start the inning. Mully followed in his footsteps and went oppo for a homer of his own. Bobert Maxwell, looking to get in on the action, scorched one to left field for a 3rd consecutive homer. Have you guys had enough? Good, because there’s more. Kitty (Markow) had been feeling hot at the plate all day, so why stop now? Boom, another home run. Now we’re having some fun. Coming up in the 5 spot, DBA struts to the plate and with such finesse and effortlessness knocks one deep, and what do you know? HOME RUN. Things were getting real fun on the sidelines and then Breezerino (oh yeah, did you REALLY think we’d ever get rid of him?), was up, and ended the Home Run derby with a hard hit double. You heard it here folks, 5 back to back homers in the bottom of the 6th. Think that’s gotta be some new WSL record or something! We hit the 7th inning stretch and much to our dismay, we were out of Buds! GASP! Too much early celebrating. Battleship called for backup and Big Cleary showed up with a case of beer to supplement the 3 6-packs I had just picked up. It’s a team effort, kids. Stryker and Lance pitched alternate innings and kept TNT on their toes, not giving up too many earned runs. Special thanks to Palma for stepping in and taking care of business behind the plate! Game ball went to birthday boy Markow, going 5 for 5 with 2 HRs. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KITTY!!!!

Final Score: Clemerica 25, TNT 11. As Joe Maddon would say, “Don’t ever permit the pressure to exceed the pleasure.” Boy does this team have a good time, and we plan on continuing the streak with more BBQ, more beers, more home runs, and more wins. Also, definitely MORE swag. TNT faces off with R Bar this weekend while the Battleship takes on the mighty 3 Kings. Will R Bar face another upset? Will the 3 Kings actually get a 5th game in? Til next week! You know you love me. Xoxo Fan Girl.